Lighten Up

03.15.13

NBC Exec and Leno Clashed Over Jokes

Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images (FILE)

What, NBC can't take a joke? Though the network has denied rumors that it plans to replace The Tonight Show host Jay Leno, three executives told The New York Times this week that Leno and Robert Greenblatt, the network’s top entertainment executive, have clashed over Leno’s jokes about NBC. Greenblatt complained in an email to Leno about monologue jokes that the host made last month in the wake of NBC’s fall to fifth place in the February sweeps, behind even Spanish-language channel Univision. Among the host’s jokes were one-liners like, “It’s so bad, The Biggest Loser isn’t just a TV show anymore; it’s our new motto.” And: “It’s so bad, NBC called Manti Te’o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers.”